The Gate — J Calaway — Make Today Count — The Excellence Secret

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, it’s a habit.’ —Aristotle

Think about that for a second. It’s not about those one-off moments of brilliance—it’s about the consistent choices we make every day that shape who we become.

our identity isn’t defined by rare heroic acts, but by our repeated actions. If you repeatedly hit the snooze button, you’re building a habit of procrastination. But if you repeatedly choose discipline—like getting up early to pray or exercise—you’re forging a path to excellence. Excellence isn’t a switch you flip on for special occasions; it’s the result of habits compounded over time.

Take Proverbs 22:6, for example: ‘Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.’ This is all about instilling habits early on. Training implies repetition—daily teaching, modeling, and practice. Just like Aristotle’s idea, the habits we build in our kids (or ourselves) shape lifelong excellence in faith and character.

Another gem is in Philippians 4:9, where Paul writes: ‘Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.’ Paul isn’t talking about a one-time event; he’s urging the Philippians to repeatedly practice what they’ve seen in him. Excellence in our walk with Christ comes from habitual obedience, not sporadic efforts.

It’s Colossians 3:23: ‘Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.’ This isn’t about occasional bursts of effort—it’s a call to habitual wholeheartedness in everything, from your job to your family life. Excellence becomes our norm when we repeatedly choose to do it all for God’s glory.”

When you Do this, You Make Today Count!